This week, I issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians about a rising trend in jury duty scams. 

In these scams, an imposter will call a target claiming that they missed jury duty and will be arrested if they do not pay a fine immediately.

Potential victims can be understandably alarmed by the threat of legal consequences because the scammer may be very convincing.

To avoid jury duty scams, Floridians should know that:

• A jury duty summons will never be delivered over the phone; it will always come via mail;
• Court officials will not demand payment over the phone, nor ask that payment be wired or made through a gift card;
• Personal or financial information should never be given to strangers, especially over the phone; and 
• Caller IDs may be spoofed appearing to come from a law enforcement agency or other government entity. Be cautious of caller ID—even if it looks like a real source. 

If there is a valid jury duty issue, contact a local court clerk's office directly using the Florida Clerks website. Suspected jury duty scams should also be reported to law enforcement. 

Anyone who may encounter an imposter trying to orchestrate a jury duty scam can also file a complaint with my office online at MyFloridaLegal.com or by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM.

By staying ahead of fraudsters and reporting scams, you can avoid falling prey and help us build a Stronger, Safer Florida.